Chatham Islands Anniversary Day 2019 and 2020

In Chatham Islands Territory, a public holiday celebrates the founding of the islands’ first European settlement back in 1791. It’s called Chatham Islands Anniversary Day and is observed on the Monday nearest to 30 November.

All regions and territories of New Zealand are required by law to have a founding day during which workers can get the day off. Chatham Islands Anniversary Day fulfil this requirement, but it is very low key. It is mostly just a day off work for locals.

Chatham Islands was discovered by William Broughton of the HMS Chatham on 29 November, 1791. He quickly named the newly found islands after the ship that brought him to them and declared his new discovery to belong to the British Empire. The islands became part of New Zealand, however, only in 1842.